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The inaugural Drake Relays were held in 1910. The first meet drew just 100 spectators and 82 athletes, all from Des Moines-area colleges and high schools. The second year, however, drew 250 athletes and a crowd of some 500 spectators. In 1914, the Relays saw its first world record set. By 1922, the Relays had been expanded into a two-day event that drew 10,000 fans and became the first major track and field event broadcast on the radio. For the 1926 Relays, Drake Stadium was completed on the site of the prior host, Haskins Field.[2]

Women's events were added beginning in 1961 with Wilma Rudolph competing in the 100 meters.[3] The 1966 Relays began a streak of 48 consecutive Saturdays with a sellout.[4] In 1969, a $175,000 tartan track was installed. The events at the Relays would go metric beginning in 1976; the track was rebuilt in a 400-meter oval in 1978. The track oval was resurfaced in 1983 and was renamed the "Jim Duncan Track" to honor the long time relays public address announcer in 1988.

In 2006, a Friday night session was added for the first time.[7] In 2010, the Grand Blue Mile, a one-mile road race in downtown Des Moines, was added as the first athletic event.[8] The current week of festivities begins with a parade on Saturday, continues with a Beautiful Bulldog Contest (Drake's mascot) on Monday, the Grand Blue Mile on Tuesday, and an indoor pole vault on Wednesday[9] with the decathlon and heptathlon beginning Wednesday and concluding alongside the distance carnival on Thursday.

In November 2012, Midwest grocer Hy-Vee was announced as the presenting sponsor beginning with the 104th running of the Drake Relays in 2013. Through the sponsorship, the Relays will offer a $50,000 purse in running events and $25,000 purse in field events, making the Drake Relays the richest athletics event in the United States. Further, 90 minutes of action were aired on ESPN2 and an additional two hours on ESPN3.[10] The 2013 field saw 25 Olympic medalists in total.[11]

In addition to serving as a track meet, the Relays serves as a second homecoming for the university[12] and sees wider community events, such as a student street painting and a downtown Des Moines block party.

Opened in 1925, the 14,557-seat stadium and its famous blue oval have hosted the Relays since 1926. A $15 million renovation in 2006 reduced capacity from 18,000 seats in order to expand the lanes, allow fans to watch throwing and running at the same time, and allow for more hosting of events.[7]

Eleven men have claimed the role of director of the Drake Relays since the very first officially organized track and field event took place more than 100 years ago back in the year 1910. In 2009, the day before the 100th anniversary of the relays, there was a phenomenal firework show put on by the area Girl Scouts to honor the Veterans of wars past fought.

John L. Griffith 1910-1918
Griffith was the founder of the Drake Relays. He remained director for 9 years and moved to the University of Illinois after World War I. He later became commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.

M.B. Banks 1919-1921
Banks also served as coach to the Drake football and basketball teams.

K.L. (Tug) Wilson 1922-1925
Wilson was a former Illinois and Olympic athlete. After his tenure as director, he went on to become athletic director at Northwestern University. Wilson was also a former Big Ten Conference commissioner.

O.M. (Ossie) Solem 1926-1932
Longtime Drake coach succeeded Wilson, but left to become head football coach at the University of Iowa, and later at Syracuse University.

F.P. (Pitch) Johnson 1933-1940

M.E. (Bill) Easton 1941-1947

Tom Deckard 1948-1955

Bob Karnes 1956-1969

Bob Ehrhart 1970-2000

Mark Kostek 2001-2005

Brian Brown 2006–present
Brown participated in the relays himself and held the Drake Relays record in the high jump until 2014. For his first eight years as director, Brown had attempted to have his record broken by recruiting some of the best high jumpers in the country.